Dispenser for wetted sheets of material



Sept. 17, 1963 Q G. R. MANCEBQ ,104,183

DISPENSER FOR WETTED SHEETS OF MATERIAL Filed Aug 24, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Z

5% Wwmka Sept. 17, 1963 G. R. MANCEBO DISPENSER FOR WETTED SHEETS OF MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A? Z 3/ v 3 Filed Aug. 24, 1961 5 M 5 7m; W W A z m a WW? W Sept. 17, 1963 G. R. MANCEBO DISPENSER FOR WETTED SHEETS OF MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 24, 1961 zdr/way j United States Patent 3,194,183 DHEFENSEF. FGR EHEE'FE GE MATEFJAL Geneva it. Manceho, 1%75 Willow St, @an Jose, Qalif. Filed Aug. 24, lll, Ser. No. 1315, 531 I Qiahn. (Cl. 118-236) The present invention relates to a dispenser, and more particularly to a device for dispensing wetted sheets of material such as paper.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine or device which is adapted to be used in a convenient location such as in a classroom of a school or the like whereby sheets of material such as paper can be dispensed one at a time upon manual movement of a lever or handle, and wherein as the sheets are dispensed they are automatically moistened or wetted so that such wetted sheets can be used for any desired purpose as for example such wetted sheets can he used in art classes in connection with finger painting.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described which is adapted to be used for dispensing sheets of paper or the like and wherein the sheets are adapted to be dispensed one at a time and wherein the sheets are automatically wetted on one side thereof as the paper is expelled or drawn from the machine so that such paper can be conveniently and readily used for school art work or the like, and wherein the present invention is also capable of other applications or uses as for example in connection with the waxing and gumming of paper on one side thereof.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the char acter described that may be utilized speedily and with precision by even inexperienced operators, and further objects and advantages are to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a device of the character described that is economical to produce, efficient in operation, and which is operable by one hand of the operator, and wherein the device is both rugged in structure and foolproof in use or operation.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequent description in the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view partly in section and partly broken away illustrating the dispenser of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 0 FIGURE 1. 1

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4- i of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary per pective view illustrating the case with the cover removed there-from, and with parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the cover per se.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the frame piece per se.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the niuneral ill indicates the dispenser of the present invention which is shown to comprise a case or housing that is indicated generally by the numeral 11, and as shown in FIGURE 2 for example, a stack of sheets of material such as paper,

12 is adapted to be arranged in the case ll, and as later described in this application, the sheets 12 are adapted to ice be dispensed one at a time, and wherein as the sheets are dispensed from the present invention one side of each sheet is Wette'd or moistened automatically. The case ll. comprises spaced pa uallel side Walls 13 as well as a back wall 14, and the back wall 14 is provided with openings 15 whereby suitable securing elements such as screws in can be extended through such openings 15 and into engagement with a supporting structure 17 which may be a desk or the like in a classroom of a school. The case ill further includes a front wall 13 that is provided with slots 19 for a purpose to be later described, and the numeral 6 indicates a closure or door that is hingedly connected to the lower portion of the case 11 as at 7, and by pivoting or moving the closure 6 to an open position the case 11 can be replenished or refilled with the sheets 12 as for example when the supply of sheets 12 is used up. Arranged on the outer surface of thecase ill or secured thereto or formed integral therewith is an offset lip Eli, and the numeral 21 indicates a cover which is adapted to be detacha'bly mounted on the case 11.

As shown in the drawings the cover 21 includes an end portion 22 for engaging the lip 2i on the case ill, and the opposite end 23 of the cover 21 is adapted to engage a portion of the supporting structure 17, and the cover is thereby retained or maintained in place on the case. The cover 21 further includes spaced parallel side members 25. As shown in FIGURE 2 for example the cover is shaped to include first, second, third and fourth sections 26, 2?, 2S and 29 and these sections are arranged angularly with respect to each other. As shown in FIGURE 2 portions of the section 29 of the cover are adapted to be arranged or struck inwardly as indicated by the numeral 3i; whereby there is defined a delivery slot 31 through which the wetted sheets 12 are adapted to be dispensed or delivered.

The present invention further includes a base or frame piece as indicated generally by the numeral 85, FIGURE 10, and the frame piece includes spaced parallel side elements 86 and 36 as well as a back element 87, and the back element S7 includes spaced apart openings 87 for the projection therethrough of the screws 16, as for example as shown in FIGURE 2. The side element 86 is provided with spaced apart apertures or openings 89', 96, 91 and 92, FIGURE 10, and the side element 86' is provided with openings 91 and 92 that are arranged in alignment with the openings 91 and 92 in the side element 8'6.

The numeral 32 indicates a first shaft which has end portions thereof engaging the openings 92 in the side elements 36 and S6 of the frame 85, and a pressure roller 33 is mounted on the shaft 32, FIGURE 5. The numeral 34 indicates an inwardly arranged or angularly directed portion of the back wall .14 which defines a baffle, and the bafile 34 is arranged adjacent the pressure roller 33, FIGURE 2. As shown in the drawings there is provided a second shaft 35 which engages the openings 91 in the side elements 86 and 86' of the frame 85 whereby the shaft 35 is supported in the proper location, and a yieldable or resilient Wetting roller 36 is mounted on the shaft 35 in such a manner that as the shaft 35 rotates the wetting roller 36 rotates therewith. The wetting roller 36 and pressure roller 33 are adapted to have a sheet of material 12 pass therebetween, whereby the sheet of material will be wetted from moisture delivered by the rotating wetting roller 36, and this sheet of material which is wetted on one side is then adapted to be delivered out through the delivery slot 31 as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2 for example.

Arranged in the frame 85 and secured thereto or formed integral therewith is a tank or trough or container 37 which is adapted to hold a quantity of fluid such as water 38 therein, FIGURE 5, and as shown in FIGURE 5 the Patented Sept. 11?, i963 lower portion of the wetting roller 36 is arranged for rotation in the container 37, whereby as the roller 36 rotates, it will pick up some of the water 38 and moisten one side of the sheet 12 being dispensed. The container 37 may be secured within the frame 85 as [for example by means of welding. The numeral 39 indicates the bottom of the tray 37.

There is further provided a gear train means for the dispenser, and this gear means is shown to comprise a gear member 40 that has gear teeth 42 on its outer periphery, and the gear member 49 is loosely mounted on the shaft 35. A ratchet mechanism 45, FIGURE 4, is provided, and as shown in the drawings the ratchet mechanism 45 includes a gear element 46 that is keyed as at 44 to the shaft 35, and a pin 47 connects a pawl or dog 48 to the gear member 40, and the pointed end of the pawl 48 is urged into engagement with the teeth of the gear 46 by means of a spring member 49'.

The numeral 51 indicates a gear wheel that is rotatably connected to the side element 86 of the frame 85 by means of a pivot pin or stud 53 which engages the opening 90 in the side element 86. The gear wheel 51 has teeth 52 on the outer periphery thereof, and the teeth 52 are arranged in meshing engagement with the teeth 42 of the gear member 40, and as shown in the drawings the gear wheel 51 can rotate due to its mounting stud or pin 53.

A circular shaped gear element 54 has teeth 55 which mesh with the teeth 52 of the gear wheel 51, and .the sector gear 54 is rotatably connected to the side element 86 by means of a stud or pin 56 which engages the opening 89 in the side element 86. The numeral 57 indicates a hand lever or handle which is secured to or formed integral with the sector gear 54, and the handle 57 is mounted for manual movement in a slot or cutout 58 in the portion 27 of the cover 21. The numeral 59 indicates a coil spring which has one end connected as at 60 to the handle 57, and the other end of the coil spring 59 is anchored as at 61 to the frame 85.

The dispenser of the present invention further includes a bracket that is indicated generally by the numeral 62, and the bracket 62 is of generally U-shaped formation and is shown to comprise first and second spaced parallel legs 63 and 64 that are joined by a bight 65, and the inner end of the handle 57 is pivotally connected to the leg 64 by means of a pivot pin 66. A coil spring 67 has one end anchored to the bight 65 as at 68, while the other end of the coil spring 67 is anchored to the handle 57 as at 69. As shown in FIGURE 1 for example, spaced apart stop pieces 70 are secured to or formed integral with the front wall 18 of the case 11 for selective engagement by the legs 63 and 64. Connected to each leg 63 and 64 is a rod or pin member 72, and each pin member 72 has a yieldable or resilient pusher 73 fixedly mounted or keyed thereon, as shown in FIGURE 9 for example, and each pusher 73 includes an arcuate or rounded portion 74 that is adapted to engage the outermost sheet of the stack of sheets 12 so that the sheets can be dispensed one at a time in the desired manner, and the pushers 73 are mounted for movement or travel through the slots 19 in the front wall of the case.

As shown in FIGURE 3 a link or bar 75 is pivotally connected to the leg 63 by means of a pivot pin 76, and the numeral 77 indicates a coil spring that has one end connected to the bight 65 as at 78, while the other end of the coil spring 77 is anchored as at 79 to the link 75, and the link 75 is pivotally connected to the side element 86' of the frame 85 by means of the stud or pivot pin From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a dispenser which is especially suitable for use in dispensing sheets of wetted paper or other material, and wherein the sheets are dispensed individually and one side of each sheet is automatically wetted. In use, with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the dispenser of the present invention as indicated by the numeral 10 is adapted to be supported in a convenient location, as for example the case 11 may have its back wall 14 held in place by means of the screws :16 which engage the openings 15 in the back wall 14, and these screws 16 are adapted to extend through the openings 87 in the back element 87 of the frames 85, and these screws 16 are adapted to engage a horizontally disposed wall or support 17 which may be a desk in a classroom or the like, a supporting table or other member. The plurality of sheets 12 are adapted to be arranged within the case 11, as for example as shown in *IGURE 2, and the sheets 12 can be loaded into the case by first pivoting or moving the closure 6 to an open position and this opening movement of the closure 6 can be accomplished due to the provision of the hinge pins 7, and with the closure 6 in open position the desired or proper quantity of sheets can be inserted in the case and then the closure 6 can be moved to closed position as for example as shown in FIGURE 2, whereby the sheets will be properly positioned in order to be dispensed when the handle 57 is manually moved.

With the pants in the solid line position of FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the handle 57 can be manually engaged and then by pivoting the handle 57 downwardly in a counter-clockwise direction about an axis extending through the pin 56, FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the outermost sheet 12 from the stack of sheets 12 will be dispensed from the machine of the present invention, and at the same time fluid such as the water 38 will be applied to one side of the sheet so that there will be ejected or dispensed out through the delivery flap 31 a sheet 12 which has been wetted or moistened on one side only. Such a sheet may be paper that is adapted to be used by children or other persons or students in connection with finger painting or the like wherein it is advisable or necessary to have a sheet of paper wetted on one side only.

The desired action takes place as follows. As the handle 57 is manually moved in a counter-clockwise direction, FIGURE 2, about the pivot pin 56, the bracket 62 is moved upwardly or forwardly from the solid line position of FIGURE 2 to the broken line position of FIGURE 2, since the handle 57 is pivotally connected as at 66 to the finger 64 of the bracket 62, and as the bracket 62 moves from the solid line position of FIGURE 2, it causes the pushers 73 to move through the slots 19 so that the pushers 73 will have their arcuate surfaces 74 engage the upper most sheet 12, since the resilient pushers 73 are mounted on the pin members 72 that are connected to the fingers 63 and 64 of the bracket 62. As the handle 57 is moved downwardly through the cutout 58, it will be seen therefore that the uppermost sheet from the stack of sheets 12 will be forced upwardly and guided between the rollers 33 and 36 by means of the bafile 34,

and as the sheet continues to move it will pass outwardly through the delivery slot 31 whereby it can be readily manually gripped and removed from the machine by the user or other person.

At the same time, the wetting or moistening of the sheets takes place as follows. As the handle 57 is manually moved in a counter clockwise direction, FIGURE 2, the sector shaped gear element 54 will be moved as for example rfrom the solid line position of FIGURE 2 to the dotted line position of FIGURE 2 and since the teeth 55 of the gear element 54 are arranged in meshing engagement with the teeth 52 of the gear wheel 51, it will be seen that this action will result in rotation of the gear wheel 51 on its pivot pin 53, and with the teeth 52 of the gear wheel 51 meshing with the teeth 42 of the gear tin-g roller 36 fixedly mounted on the shaft 35, it will be seen that this will result in the desired rotation of the wetting roller 36. The wetting roller 36 is arranged so that a portion thereof is in engagement with the water 38 in the container 37 so that this turning movement or rotation of the roller 36 will carry some of the water 38 upwardly into engagement with the sheet 12 to thereby wet or moisten one side only of the sheet so that as the sheet is removed from the discharge or delivery slot 31, it will be automatically moistened on one side only, in the desired manner. The ratchet mechanism 45 functions to permit the roller 36 to rotate in the desired and proper direction and prevents rotation of the parts in the wrong direction.

The spring 59 functions as a return spring so that when manual pressure is released on the handle 57, the handle 57 can pivot in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 56- so that it can return to its normal or starting position ready to be used again when pressure on the handle 57 is released. The spring 67 and the spring 77 function as stabilizing spring members so as to maintain the bracket 62 in proper location relative to the members such as the handle 57 and link 75. The pushers 73 are adapted to be made of a suitable yieldable or resilient material such as a suitable rubber or plastic like substance so that as the pushers or grippers 73 are moved by the previously described aotion, the yieldable pushers 73 will exert the necessary gripping or pushing action on the sheet 12 in order to dispense this sheet and cause the sheet to move along in the proper direction.

The cover 21 is adapted to be removably or detachably mounted on the case, and for example the cover 21 is adapted to have its end portion 23 engage a portion of the supporting surface 17, and also the cover has its portion 22 adapted to engage the lip 28' whereby the cover will be maintained in its proper location on the case. By exerting a properly directed manual pressure on the cover 21, the cover 21 can be readily disconnected from the case, as for example when it is desired to gain access to the interior of the machine or mechanism.

The container 37 can be filled with the fluid or water 38 as for example by removing the cover and arranging the desired or proper quantity of fluid 38 in the container 37.

The parts can be made of any suitable material, and in different shapes and sizes.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be obvious that the invention may be otherwise embodied and the dimensions and interrelation of parts changed so long as the objects of the invention are attained.

What is claimed is:

In a dispenser for wetted sheets indluding a housing, a wetting roller journaled in said housing, a magazine for sheets to be wetted disposed with one end thereof contiguous to and spaced from said roller, and gear train means including a ratchet operably connected to said roller for driving the same in one direction, a lever hav ing a handle portion adjacent one end exteriorly of said housing, said lever being connected intermediate the ends thereof to said housing for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a gear carried by said lever and in meshing engagement with said gear train, a U-shaped bracket having one leg thereof pivotally connected to the portion of said lever adjacent the other end thereof, said magazine being provided with a slot adjacent each of said legs of said bracket, and a pusher mounted on each of said legs and operable through the adjacent slot responsive to rocking movement of said lever in one direction to engage the adjacent sheet of a stack of sheets when in said magazine and to shift said sheet into engagement with said roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 189,991 Bierce Apr. 24, 1877 479,688 Weller July 26, 1892 1,273,128 Banschbach July 23, 1918 2,264,578v Marchev Dec. 2, 1941 2,271,954 Rockhill Feb. 3, 1942 2,299,974 Grobecker Oct. 27, 1942 2,337,747 Grobecker Dec. 28, 1943 2,588,917 Geib Mar. 11, 1952 2,701,662 Smith Feb. 8, 1955 2,740,353 Levin Apr. 3, 1956 

